# Best Voices - EVER! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2002, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083 "2002-12-11T20:37:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/21 "2002-12-12T04:54:10Z")
Elvis Janis ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/22 "2002-12-12T12:50:16Z")
Chester “Howlin’ Wolf” Burnett Nina Simone ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/23 "2002-12-12T12:57:45Z")
Elizabeth Fraser Jeff Buckley ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/24 "2002-12-12T13:30:43Z")
Female: Twila Paris. If you haven’t heard of her, she’s a Christian artist whose popularity peaked in the mid 90’s. By golly, she can sing the paint off a wall. Male: Nat King Cole. His voice is soooooo crystal clear. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/25 "2002-12-12T13:55:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by unclviny \* > \*\*I am only voting in the rock and roll category for now: > > Bryan Ferry (of Roxy Music, the most underrated singer ever!) > > Natalie Merchant (of 10,000 Maniacs) > > unclviny \*\* Great choices, but eventually my vote in that category goes to David Sylvian and Dolores O’Riordan, the singer from the Cranberries. Overall, I’d go for classical music, with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Dawn Upshaw as the winners (honorable mentions for Fritz Wunderlich, the Luciano Pavarotti of say 20 years ago, Anne-Sofie von Otter and Elly Ameling). ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/26 "2002-12-12T14:34:18Z")
You want a voice with character? One that tells a life story just from the sound? Billie Holiday in 1956, 1957 or 1958. The Silver Collection: Best of the Verve Years will make a believer out of you. Some folks like her earlier material better, but I like to hear the experience in her voice. Talk about the good dying young. ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/27 "2002-12-12T15:12:11Z")
Oooh, **Dragon Phoenix** has the same tastes as I in classical singers. I did a master class with Dawn Upshaw once - the purity of her voice is just breathtaking. And Fischer-Dieskau is so powerful, but sensitive at the same time. Wow. I like **Shagnasty’s** vote for Karen Carpenter, as well. Her voice is melted chocolate. For a male, I’d also throw in James Taylor. That man can sing! The only name I disagree with is Billie Holiday (sorry, **plnnr** ). I agree with your assessment, but on a purely vocal level she can be tough to listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/28 "2002-12-12T15:24:29Z")
Nora Bayes . . . Judy Garland . . . Russ Columbo . . . Bessie Smith . . . ditto on Dean Martin . . . ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/29 "2002-12-12T15:31:15Z")
Sweat Pea Atkinson Aretha ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/30 "2002-12-12T15:58:04Z")
For speaking roles only… I grew up wanting to sound like **George Sanders** , so smooth, so urbane, so nonchalant, but God decided I would better serve him by going through life sounding like ‘Squiggy’ from “Laverne and Shirley”. -sigh- Best female voice: Angela Lansbury! ---
**Author:** ![Thurgood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Thurgood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thurgood)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/31 "2002-12-12T16:04:50Z")
After over a year of lurking, I’m almost ashamed that this is the thread that brought me out of the shadows. My opinion? Sebastian Bach. Of Skid Row Even toughguys like me can’t help but be moved by his vocal prowess on “18 and Life”. ---
**Author:** ![Bluesman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@Bluesman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluesman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/32 "2002-12-12T18:26:35Z")
Well, there was the old narrator from Steve Sabol Films. (Oh, **you** remember, the NFL highlights show…the OLD version.) Don’t remember the guy’s name, but he was dubbed “The voice of God”. Yeah, God **wishes**. ---
**Author:** ![DeepPurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@DeepPurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepPurple)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/33 "2002-12-12T19:28:40Z")
I love Dinah! But let’s not forget Joan Armatrading. I love Sam Cooke, but early Jackie Wilson is wonderful stuff. I try to understand that the later ‘lounge’ type singing was apparantly thought to be a good idea at the time. This from some liner notes on his boxed set. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/34 "2002-12-12T19:33:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bluesman \* > \*\*Well, there was the old narrator from Steve Sabol Films. (Oh, **you** remember, the NFL highlights show…the OLD version.) Don’t remember the guy’s name, but he was dubbed “The voice of God”. Yeah, God **wishes**. \*\* The late John Facienda was the voice of NFL Films. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/35 "2002-12-12T19:36:18Z")
Paul Robeson. His voice was _amazing_! ---
**Author:** ![kgb101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@kgb101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgb101)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/36 "2002-12-12T20:35:27Z")
Jim Morrison ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/37 "2002-12-12T20:46:15Z")
No votes for Freddie Mercury or Linda Ronstadt? ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/38 "2002-12-12T20:54:50Z")
Robert Plant Chrissy Hynde ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/39 "2002-12-12T21:30:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*No votes for Freddie Mercury or Linda Ronstadt? \*\* Correct. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083/40 "2002-12-12T21:48:38Z")
I’ll throw in Chuck D., Marvin Gaye, and Ella Fitzgerald. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-voices-ever/142083.md?page=3)